NBA LogoThere is a very strong argument to make that the NBA can’t actually achieve much more success in the United States of America. It has surely won all of the basketball fans of the game and while there is a potential to bring new to the game fans in, there will be people lost for a variety of reasons. There will be some level of fluctuation when it comes to the number of fans that NBA can pick up in the USA but you would think that it is pretty much around the level that it needs to be.

This means that if the NBA is looking to bring in a lot more money from other markets, they will need to look outside of America. This is something that the company has been working on in recent times, and there is no doubt that they have achieved some success with this. The firm has picked up a lot of interest in South America but when it comes to making genuine growth, there is a need to look to the east. The Far East. The Far East is definitely a market that the NBA has its eye on, and it is a market that could help to bring in many more millions to the sport. While ordinary fans of the teams around the USA may not think this benefits them, anything which helps the league to strengthen should be seen as a good thing. Of course, not all money raised in this manner goes to the teams, the owners and players clearly pick up their share but hopefully there will be benefits for everyone when it comes to improving basketball.

NBA Signs up with Anta

Anta LogoThe league has announced a new merchandise and clothing partner in China and there has been surprise that it wasn’t Nike! The league has signed up with Anta Sports Product Limited, which is a sneaker firm operating from Jinjiang and Xiamen, which is located in the Fujian Province of China. The firm is one of the biggest shoe firms in the country, owning Fila. However, it does trail behind Nike in China, which makes the decision to go against their usual partner.

There is some logic to the decision made by the NBA though. Rather than dealing with Nike or even Adidas, the league believes that working with a company that is based in China, as opposed to one which just sells its products there, is going to be the best way to make a genuine impact on the firm. There is no doubt that many Chinese people have a strong sense of loyalty to local producers, and this could be something that helps the NBA to make its mark in the country.

NBA held a press conference in Beijing

The deal was announced at a press conference in Beijing and it is expected that there will be a range of NBA and Anta footwear and accessories available in more than 2,000 Anta stores in China. There will also be stocks provided for the online Anta store. There will also be a number of NBA events in China where Anta will be a notable partner.

With more than 300 million people in China playing basketball, it is the most popular sport (team sport) in the nation. With a population of 1.3 billion people, it is easy to see why the NBA wants to break into this market.

Adam Silver, the NBA Commissioner said;

The NBA and Anta share a common goal to grow the game of basketball and inspire a healthy, active lifestyle. This partnership will provide our fans in China with NBA branded footwear and accessories and more ways to connect with their favourite teams.

The Chinese market has been a success for Nike in the past year, the company bringing in $2.6 billion in revenue in the past year. This represents a 5% increase from the previous year’s figures so Nike is clearly doing well from being represented in this part of the world.